Tatian — Address to the Greeks, Chapters 17–19 Augustine — The Confessions, Book 5, Chapter 14 (Section 20) Thomas Aquinas — Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 9 (Articles 1–3 Combined)

You can see a common thread running through all three readings today: the danger of trusting the wrong source of power, knowledge, and movement. Tatian exposes the illusion of healing and wisdom apart from God, arguing that what people call medicine or spiritual insight often masks demonic deception that enslaves rather than frees . Augustine turns inward and shows how even intellectual error—being displeased with God’s creation—can fracture reality itself, leading to false views of God and the world. And then Aquinas brings precision to it all: the will is not random, nor purely driven by passion or external force, but is moved in ...